Feeling God's Presence

Spiritual exercises to connect to God's goodness in the world.

Efim Svirsky, a therapist and educator, has developed a unique form of psychological/spiritual therapy to give people real tools to feel the presence of God and enjoy more meaningful, joyful and productive lives. The following article is based on an excerpt from his new book, Connection, a practical, step-by-step guide which takes the reader to spiritual heights, while unlocking our vast potential. The book comes with an MP3 disk, which contains the 60 spiritual exercises found in the book.

If God did not want us to contact Him, He would have arranged the world in such a way that we would not suspect His presence nor have the ability to find out about it.

Consider for a moment that we are rabbit breeders and we do not want the rabbits to find out about our existence. We keep them on a farm and install an automated system that feeds the rabbits, gives them water and cleans after them. A newborn rabbit will know that if he wants a carrot, he can press a certain button. If he needs some water, he can press a different button. For him, these are his laws of nature. If we wished to monitor the rabbit, we could install a secret camera to follow his every move without his knowledge.

Our Creator could have done the same thing. But He did not. We know this because we are talking about Him right now. We have the ability to fathom His existence. Jewish tradition teaches that man was created with the ability to communicate with God directly. In fact, it is a normal human condition. Adam, the first man, had an ability to communicate with God, and he was the archetype of humanity. After him, there were the prophets, including our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Moses, our greatest teacher. Thousands of years ago, the Jewish people even had special schools for prophecy. Like modern girls and boys who go to college, our young ancestors went to schools of prophecy. At one period, the Talmud relates, there were at least 1,200,000 prophets among the Jewish people.

And there were even more people that were close to having prophecy. Prophecy is direct contact with God and the ability to foresee the future as a result of the contact. Foretelling the future does not make someone a prophet. True prophecy is the ability to have direct contact with the Creator. In our time, we can no longer obtain the level of prophecy, but there are many levels of experiencing the presence of the Creator here and now.

CONNECTING TO GOD'S PRESENCE

If you take seriously that the Creator is here right now, that He is your father -- the best father you can ever have and more -- who wishes to give you everything that you need for your spiritual growth, how should you feel?

How do you actually feel when you think about the existence of the Creator? Sit back for a moment, relax and think about your Creator being right here, right now.

You may be wondering, what am I supposed to see when I think about God? The answer is "nothing." On one hand, it is impossible to see the Creator, and on the other hand, everything that exists is a manifestation of Him. What we can focus on, however, is the fact of His presence here and now.

Let me clarify. When you meet someone you love and haven't seen for a long time, you rush to embrace him or her. You close your eyes and take time to enjoy being with the person. You don't need to look at them at that moment; you just want to feel their presence. The same goes with our Creator. We do not have to create His image in our minds; we can focus simply on the fact that He is presently here.

I have found that people have quite various reactions to this request, from, "I am going to throw up" (!) to "I feel fantastic harmony and happiness."

Most people feel peace and a general -- but sometimes very deep -- feeling of safety and relaxation. Some people feel warmth in their bodies or hands and feet. Many see colors. Some people feel uplifted or feel they are flying. All of these feeling are "right." There are no wrong feelings.

CONNECTING WITH GOD'S GOODNESS

Getting in touch with the goodness our Creator wants to bestow on us can be a life-changing experience. Here is one of those experiences, a story from a young woman who used these feelings to work on eliminating an emotional trauma that had accompanied her for many, many years.

I was engaged to be married. As the wedding date got closer, I got more nervous. I wasn't worried about the typical issues of a bride. I was sure I had chosen the right one. What I was worried about was sabotaging my new marriage with my poor self- image.

Even though I am a size 4, I still viewed myself as horribly fat, and I don't have an eating disorder. I'm five feet tall, with broad shoulders and a wide back. No waist, no hips. Your basic inverted triangle, which doesn't exactly fit into the world's standard of beauty for a woman.

My poor self-image was borne of a career in competitive gymnastics. Everyday, from age 12, I was literally pinched with a device that calculated my body fat percentage. (At eight percent body fat, I was put into the "fat group" and forced to do two extra hours of conditioning more than the rest of the team. To give you a benchmark, the normal body fat percentage for a girl is around 15 percent; Olympic runner Carl Lewis once measured in at 4 percent, an anomaly even for Olympians).

If I wasn't being squeezed, I was being scrutinized. And whatever the result, it was never good enough. Talk about a body image problem.

When I became Torah observant, I was introduced to the concept of tzniut (modesty). Tzniut changed my life. I didn't have to worry about every inch of my body being perfect or, as a gymnast, on display. Still the problem remained. As much as I intellectually understood how Judaism values the physical as a path to the spiritual (not as an end in itself), I had not integrated this concept.

I had heard about Efim Svirsky's techniques of "psychological/spiritual" therapy, a long way from the standard method of psychological counseling I was used to. But I wanted to try it.

Rabbi Svirsky guided me into a state of deep relaxation and asked me to concentrate on feeling the presence of God. With more guidance, I experienced many sensations as I allowed myself to accept that God loves me unconditionally and created me perfect.

I literally talked to the body parts that tried to "block" God's goodness, something I felt clearly through a sharp pain over one eye or a tightening of my chest. Through a dialogue with each of my emotional blocks, I was able to see how the many defenses I had erected throughout my life to protect me from the stresses of athletic training had also prevented me from accepting who I really am -- a perfect soul created by God.

After breaking through my emotional blocks, I was ready to confront the antagonists in my life who contributed to my problem. Rabbi Svirsky first led me back to the age of four when I remember beginning to do gymnastics. Back then, nothing made me happier than cartwheeling my way through the day. I cartwheeled everywhere -- down the aisles of the grocery store, on the sidewalk on the way to school, to my friends' houses, on the couch, on my bed, into the pool. You name it, I cartwheeled there. What fun! I remembered the day when I taught myself to do flips. What a sight that was -- a four-year old able to flip herself frontward and backward. I flipped and flipped. I was my carefree and playful four year old self again.

Next, Rabbi Svirsky asked me to imagine myself when I was older doing my favorite routines. No coaches, no judges. Just me swinging on the bars and tumbling on the mat. I re-experienced the exhilaration of body so fluid to be able to do these incredible feats. For the very first time, I realized that my gymnastic ability was a gift from God. And what an amazing gift! How many people in the world could do what I could? For the first time since I was four years old, I was able to view my gymnastic talent as a gift rather than a curse. For the first time, I understood what Rabbi Svirsky meant when he said that gymnastics is a manifestation of God's harmony in the world.

I then began the spiritual and emotional work connected to my body image problem. "Go to the 12-year-old," he instructed me. "Tell her that you want to give her a gift. Tell her that God exists, and He loves her. Tell her that God created her perfect, and that nothing her coach can say can change that fact. Tell her that gymnastics was never meant to be destructive; rather, that it is a beautiful manifestation of God's harmony." I embraced my 12-year-old self and told her these things. A weigh lifted off her as she understood their truth.

Next, I gave this "gift of God" to my coach. I told him the Almighty created him (and gymnastics) as a manifestation of His Harmony and Beauty, not something to be twisted into a competitive ego trip. I watched him in my mind's eye as he realized that he, too, had gymnastics all wrong. Witnessing his epiphany put many of my harsh feelings to rest.

From there, I was ready to confront myself at 15, when I was at the peak of my athletic training and the depths of my emotional pain. It was very hard work, but the dividends paid off. Through experiencing God's presence and focusing on the reality that He created me perfect, with unconditional love beyond any a human parent can have, I was able to view myself, my coaches and the world in a new, healthy light and free myself from the debilitating self-image I once had.

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About the Author

Efim Svirsky has been the educational director of Aish HaTorah’s Russian program for the past 12 years and is he founder and director of the Psycho/Spiritual Institute. He teaches professional courses for Torah-based counselors, gives lectures, seminars and private sessions worldwide.

Visitor Comments: 11

(11)
Judah Eastman,
August 4, 2013 4:46 PM

Cause of all causes

Fact God alone has perfect ultimate free choice fact He chose under no influence except his Divine perfection to create me fact His only reason was to share His goodness fact He is thinking all the time how can I give infinite good to my creations Just like a father mother lover etc

(10)
veredzivon,
February 22, 2012 7:07 AM

i need to know where can i buy the book connection o

reading this artical gave me a present to look at my life in a diferrent way 'i start now to see god in my ability to do acrobatics as a child' i 'll love to buy the booe connection [auther rabbi suvirski it is so importent to me

(9)
satyan,
September 27, 2011 2:36 PM

God is omnipotent....

God's presence is all around you and within yourself. Take time to focus on his presence....it is very easy to find him. I have everyday experiences to prove it.

(8)
Anonymous,
August 27, 2011 1:13 AM

I was just doing some exploring to help me understand what happened to me the other day. I am not a very religous person. I was driving my car the other day just listing to the raido and out of nowhere I got this feeling of total peace in my mind and body then I felt a hand on my shoulder, without even thinking for a split second I said out loud to myself "I just found God" I truly beleive God was present with me. I felt that hand on my right shoulder for a good few hours. I was so happy relaxed and at peace. At that moment I also had a thought that everything is ok and that i am protected and I didnt have a fear in the world because I now know that God will protect me from all things.I am just amazed at how this feeling came out of nowhere.

(7)
xpandngreal8y,
September 28, 2009 8:04 AM

I Love you :)

Thank you

(6)
MaryKarol,
November 26, 2006 2:35 PM

Thank you!

Thank you.

(5)
Vimbai,
November 10, 2006 5:51 AM

I felt at peace readiing about God's presence

(4)
amanda mcgowan,
June 29, 2006 12:00 AM

To sit back and think about our creator being here now is way cool.

nothing like His presence and focusing on it.

(3)
Gloria Minatti,
November 17, 2004 12:00 AM

An exceptional Healing Process

I loved this piece because I too have been incorporating these things into my prayer/meditation time. The only thing I disagree with, and maybe I misunderstood was when you stated that in this day and time there is no ability to be a prophet. I believe the same ability is there as it was then, it is our fault as a people that this is not presently so.

(2)
daniel,
September 22, 2004 12:00 AM

Great

It is really great to explain the word God, which most of the people in this world dont understand and suffer a lot to understand that three letter word.

I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...